Tuesday, February 15, 2011

An Artful Journey

I have been gathering supplies for a class I will be taking at An Artful Journey retreat beginning on Thursday. I'm taking Nina Bagley's class and while I know I'll be challenged with the metal part I'm looking forward to working with the fabric bits and learning how to crochet beads and buttons on a chain.

Friday night at the retreat is vendor night for the instructors and on Saturday attendees can vend. I plan to have hand dyed ribbons, wayward blooms, scarves, stoles, and some garments for sale.

I haven't been as productive as I'd like to because my back has been so bad. I've tried not to whine and complain nor write about it here but dammit all, aging pretty much sucks and I'm not even that old. I've had a fractured vertebrae at sometime in my life in the thorax area so over the years two vertebrae have become wedged and the effect trickles down. It's a chronic ache and somedays I just can't stand over the dye pot, or sit at the sewing machine, or much of anything but lay on a heating pad. Last Thursday I had an epidural steroid injection and so far it hasn't improved and initially I felt worse. I'm told it could take 1 -2 weeks to feel any difference so I'm trying to be hopeful (trying is the operative word here) and not get depressed. Okay enough of that. (WAH!).

I'm going to work on some more flowers today and maybe finish a garment I've been working on if I can find the black piece of burnout velvet I want to use on it. I knew right where it was until I cleaned up my studio. sigh.

Lorri, so sorry to hear that you're suffering with back pain! That can make every single task a miserable ordeal! Hope the shot kicks in and relieves the pain!Your wares are gorgeous and I wish you success at the vending venue. The Nina class sounds like a wonderful opportunity!I adore your flowers! One question: the fabric with the script - did it come like that and you dyed it? Or did you also add the script to it? It's beautiful!

Altered Couture Magazine

I am primarily a fiber artist: a weaver, a dyer of cloth, creator of altered cloth books and art, and a designer of garments and accessories. I have a studio in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California where I immerse myself in projects and gaze out over the hills to the Monterey Bay. I write a little poetry from time to time and songs too. I have a great family, two sons, a husband, and joint custody of 2 cats, Moo and Ducky.